Hotels and Inns which are open to the public attempt to provide the traveler with accommodations that are similar to those enjoyed by the traveler at home. The very nature of some of these accommodations renders them quite personal to many people. The cleanliness of the room and its furnishings are important as is their comfort and general physical condition which contributes to the overall attractiveness of the room. This overall attractiveness is directly translatable into satisfaction and enjoyment by the traveler who is staying there.
One problem faced by many travelers is finding a suitable place to temporarily store their toothbrushes immediately after use. To some, this is no problem at all, they simply lay in on the vanity counter top. However, to others, the thought of allowing the bristle end of their toothbrush to come into physical contact with a counter top that may have just been cleaned with unknown chemicals or even toxic substances perhaps, is simply not acceptable. For this reason the typical wall mounted toothbrush holder having through holes which allow the bristles of the brush to engage the holder is not acceptable either. There is probably nothing more personal to these people than their toothbrush because a toothbrush is used in ones mouth and a perception that the toothbrush is maintained in scrupulously sanitary conditions is paramount. Solutions to this problem may include placing the toothbrush into a glass tumbler with the bristle end facing upwardly or returning it to its travel container. The tumbler solution works as long as the tumbler is made of glass and has a substantial weight. However, many hotels and motels, in an effort to reduce operating costs, have replaced glass tumblers with throwaway light plastic ones. These are too lightweight to function as a toothbrush holder because the toothbrush, which weighs about as much as the plastic tumbler, has a tendency to lean outwardly beyond the edge of the tumbler rendering it off balance and unstable. Such an arrangement is easily knocked over by accident. The solution of returning the toothbrush to its travel container is not a perfect one either. Most such travel containers have limited provisions for air circulation so that when a toothbrush is returned to its container wet, it has little opportunity to properly dry. This, of course, is conducive to the development of mold, mildew, or other fungi in the travel container.
What is needed is a stable, toothbrush holder for hotels and the like that is perceived as being sanitary and that holds the bristle end away from all surfaces for proper drying.